Star Island welcomes back the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science for summer 2014 during the week of Saturday, August 2 to Saturday, August 9. Karl E. Peters, co-chair of the 2014 IRAS program said, “IRAS looks forward to celebrating its 60th anniversary on Star, where it was founded.”
IRAS and Star Gathering II will share this week in 2014. Leaders from both groups are meeting throughout the year to diligently plan how best to maximize the experience for both groups including a combined youth program and even details like coordinating lunch time grace.
Star Gathering II Family Conference leaders Jenny and Warren Giering said, “Star Gathering 2 welcomes IRAS back to Star Island. We look forward to sharing the island spiritually, artistically, intellectually and socially.”
In its 60th year, IRAS turns to the theme of Science and Religion in a Globalizing World with the following confirmed speakers:
- Nancy Abrams, University of California, Santa Cruz (attorney and cultural philosopher).
- Zain Bagir, Director of the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies at the Graduate School of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia (religion, science and technology).
- Whitney Bauman, Florida International University (religion, science, and globalization).
- Willem B. Drees, University of Leiden, Editor of Zygon (interactions between religious convictions and practices, and contemporary culture, modern science and technology).
- Sarah Fredericks, University of North Texas University (religion, technology, and sustainability).
- James Haag, Suffolk University (naturalism and religion).
- Mark Juergensmeyer, University of California, Santa Barbara, Director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies (sociology, religion and politics, religious violence).
- Karl E. Peters, Rollins College emeritus (evolution and religion).
- Joel Primack, University of California, Santa Cruz, Director of the University of California system-wide High-Performance AstroComputing Center (theoretical cosmology).
- Michael Ruse, Florida State University, Director of the History and Philosophy of Science Program (philosophy of biology).
- Lea Schweitz, Director, Zygon Center for Religion and Science, Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago (humanity’s relation to God and nature).
- Dennis Moon, Senior Minister, South Church UCC, Granby, CT–daily Chapel Speaker